About us

Hofdi Horizon is a SME, formally established in Iceland in July 2021, as an Education and Consulting Centre with the aim of being actively involved in European and International projects to support people in the fields of educational, social, entrepreneurial, environmental, health, sport and technological projects as well as organizing internship opportunities in Iceland for foreign students and job-shadowing in Iceland for teachers. Hofdi Horizon places a great emphasis on educational and social development of our participants with the aim of helping them to develop into self-assured, inventive, successful, psychologically, physically and spiritually healthy individuals Through training, workshops and theme days, we impart our understanding of societal concerns impacting ethnic communities. Professionals can use our advice services to put their newly learned knowledge to use.

Hofdi Horizon works with associate Icelandic partners all over Iceland and focuses mainly on two main actions – training for education staff from all over Europe in different fields (e.g. multiculturalism, sustainable development, circular economy, e-learning, leadership, circular economy, entrepreneurship, eco-tourism, agro-preneurship, language development, environment, climate change, renewable energy, technology, ICT, Youth work and much more) as well as in local and innovative European and international education projects.

Our mission is to promote educational innovation and skill-training across Europe for professionals and educational institutions, the job market, the local communities and all European people in general. Our goal is to address the economic, social and cultural issues presented by the digital age by continuously advancing education and innovation in the field of digital and entrepreneurial skills. Our ultimate objective is to promote digitalization through the enhancement of digital and entrepreneurial education abilities.

Iceland is located at the extreme edge of European markets and all transport to and from the country relies solely on air and sea. With a population of only 390.000, Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe by far. Long distances, harsh weather conditions and difficult terrain make transport and communications strenuous, both within the country and to international markets. The economy relies on few sectors, most of which are resource based. These realities place huge obstacles in the way of the competitiveness of the country and make it vulnerable to external forces. Population distribution within the country is very uneven, making the most sparsely populated regions extremely vulnerable to the erosion of infrastructure, such as social services and education. This vicious cycle contributes to a reliance on few resource-based industries and to the further erosion of competitiveness.

Action is needed to meet the challenges of unemployment, which is a new and growing problem in Iceland bringing with it unforeseen consequences in terms of social marginalization and poverty. The social and economic realities of Iceland make it extremely important to work consistently towards supporting local and regional communities towards the strategic aim of increasing economic diversity. The challenges experienced at the local and national level take place in a global continuum, where immense changes have taken place in the field of labour relations, technologies, markets and competition, with consequences affecting individuals and workplaces. The only way regional and national economies can survive in the global competitive environment, is through the strength of competitive skills, knowledge and education.

These are facts that the staff of Hofdi Horizon is very much aware of and as a consequence focuses on improving education in an international context, by bringing together the perfect consortiums internationally for each planned project, together with a large network of Icelandic associate partners as well as a large network of European partners in the field of education and training.

Skills, Expertise and Services

Hofdi Horizon has staff and associated partners in different fields, including educators, developers in technical fields, graphic designers, translators and teachers who have participated in numerous EU and international projects. Our staff has wide and extensive experience gained through activities and ongoing preparation in Erasmus+ programmes last ten years through Erasmus+ projects, that we have implemented both as coordinators and partners with a great success. Apart from project’s development and proposal writing, this experience includes:

• KA1 receiving organization for internship students in Iceland,
• KA1 receiving organization for job-shadowing teachers in Iceland,
• KA1 Youth projects,
• KA2 youth and school projects on sustainability, environment, climate change, health, human rights, migration,unemployment, innovation and entrepreneurship,
• Prevent all types of marginalization and radicalization,
• Promote EU values and Democracy.

The Team

• Jóhanna Ingvarsdóttir is the CEO of Hofdi Horizon and will act as a contact person and a project manager on behalf of Hofdi Horizon, together with relevant stakeholders and associated partners. Johanna holds a diploma in human resource management from University of Iceland (www.hi.is) (2010) and a BSc-degree in mass communication and journalism from Southern Illinois University of Carbondale, USA (https://siu.edu/) (1984). She has attended many seminars in project management, proposal writing and business start-ups and has taken part in many European and Nordic contact seminars and conventions on international cooperation and project development. She was working as a journalist for the biggest newspaper in Iceland for 25 years (1984-2008). She was a project manager for Innovation Centre Iceland for four years (2010-2014), where her main task was to assist and counsel individuals and companies in start-ups, implement Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education (IEE) into the Icelandic school system and she was also an instructor on Start-up seminars for unemployed people and female entrepreneurs, who wanted to start their own businesses as small and medium size enterprizes. From 2014, Johanna has been self-employed as an entrepreneur, Erasmus+ project developer and a project manager and coordinator in European projects on behalf of many schools and institutions in Iceland. Johanna speaks Icelandic and English. https://www.facebook.com/johanna.ingvarsdottir.5/

• Etibar Mikayilov, Project manager, stands as a trailblazing figure, driven by a profound mission to effect lasting change at the convergence of academia, environmental sustainability, and social innovation. Currently embarking on a Ph.D. journey in Mechanical and Management Engineering at Politecnico di Bari, Italy, Etibar’s academic trajectory embodies excellence and distinction.His academic journey commenced with honors in Chemical Engineering from Baku State University, Azerbaijan. Building upon this foundation, Etibar pursued a Master’s degree in Petroleum and Environmental Engineering at Polytechnic University of Torino, Italy. His remarkable academic prowess was acknowledged by the Italian Government (MAECI), with a distinguished scholarship, personally conferred by the President of Italy, Mr. Sergio Mattarella, in 2018. Notably, his master’s thesis delved into the environmental ramifications of the global energy transition, underscoring his steadfast commitment to addressing pressing global challenges.

   

  Etibar has recently been admitted to the “Entrepreneurship & Product Innovation” program at Stanford University, a testament to his relentless pursuit of knowledge and innovation, further recognized through the prestigious One League scholarship.

  Beyond academia, Etibar has made significant contributions to project management and research, spanning international initiatives across Turkey, Iceland, Italy, and Estonia. His dedication to environmental causes is evidenced by his volunteer work focused on energy transition and clean energy initiatives in Italy. With active involvement in 20 Erasmus+ and HORIZON projects, Etibar has demonstrated expertise in digitalization, artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, energy transition, and electric vehicle batteries.

  As a Trainer of Trainers, Etibar imparts his leadership acumen through numerous training sessions in Italy and Iceland. Serving as a WSA Youth Ambassador, he plays a pivotal role in inspiring and mobilizing fellow youths to leverage innovative digital solutions for addressing global social challenges. His accolades include titles such as Climate Leader Fellow, UPG Sustainability Leader, McKinsey Fellow, Green Leader Fellow, Echo Change Ambassador, and TCI Ambassador. Notably, he has been selected by the University of Oxford, Oxford Climate Society, for the School of Climate Change course, Hilary 2024.

  Graduating with distinction from the Student Energy Career Training (SECT) program, Etibar served as the Project Manager for the C40 Cities Port Forum project. Collaborating with a diverse global team, they focused on the “C40 Cities – Ports Focus on Singapore, Seattle, and Oslo” initiative, presenting a comprehensive project proposal and recommendations to stakeholders.

  Etibar’s multifaceted engagements underscore his unwavering commitment to driving positive change, fostering innovation, and nurturing the next generation of leaders. He maintains memberships in esteemed global organizations such as the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists, Greenhouse Gas Management Institute, and the Association for Project Management. https://www.linkedin.com/in/etibar-mikayilov-6bb212178/

• Andri Þór Grétarsson, 25 year old, is a student in Business Administration at the University of Iceland (www.hi.is). He has been an active football player from the age of five. In 2019 he was offered a football scholarship at the University of Charleston in West-Virginia, where he stayed for one semester, studying Sport Business and played football with the university’s team. Apart of being a group leader at Hofdi Horizon, managing tasks such as websites, designs, leaflets, brochures, newsletters and apps, he has worked at Vodafone and in Sport Centers and is currently working in the health sector through the company Parlogis (www.parlogis.is). Andri speaks Icelandic and English. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000489088270

• Sandra Rún Grétarsdóttir , 25 year old, is a graduated police woman from University of Akureyri (www.unak.is) and currently working for the Police in Kopavogur municipality as well as serving Hofdi Horizon as a group leader. Apart of being a group leader at Hofdi Horizon, managing dissemination activities, marketing material and documentation, she has worked at Vodafone and in Sport Centers until now. Sandra speaks Icelandic and English. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000481737102